1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an original-reading apparatus and an output apparatus for forming and copying a document, a facsimile apparatus for transmitting/receiving the contents of an original to a remote location, a composite apparatus including the functions of these apparatuses, and a composite apparatus for business use having a two-way communication function for performing, for example, a video conference effected by being connected to a communication network, such as a computer network or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A document formed currently in the office work place is copied and output by a copier, a printer or the like, and the contents of the document are transmitted by a facsimile apparatus. In the process of forming the document, an apparatus, such as a computer, a copier, a printer or the like, which is suitable for each object, is selectively used. When communicating with a remote location, an individual apparatus, such as a telephone, a facsimile apparatus, a video conferencing system or the like, is selectively used depending on the purpose.
For example, as shown in FIG. 17, in a copier which is used for copying and outputting a document, an original-reading device 102 having an original-mount is provided at an upper portion, and a recording sheet is discharged onto a discharged-sheet tray 123 provided at a side of a main body 101. In a printer, a recording sheet is discharged onto a discharged-sheet tray provided at an upper portion, a front portion or a side portion. In a facsimile apparatus, an original is inserted and read from a front portion or a top portion of the main body, and the original or a reception sheet is discharged from a rear portion, a front portion or a side portion.
As described above, in all the apparatuses, the direction of operation of an original or a recording sheet, or the direction of operation on an operation panel is limited to one direction.
Since the direction of operation in most conventional apparatuses is limited to one direction as described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, apparatuses, such as a scanner 50, printers 60, a copier 70, a facsimile apparatus 80, a minicopier 90 and the like, are often disposed so as to face a wall on a floor or disposed on desks independently or as a group. Users sharing these apparatuses cannot use each apparatus from the back or a side of the apparatus.
On the other hand, when a plurality of users intend to appropriately use respective apparatuses by disposing them on desks or a floor, the desks can be disposed only in the same direction as the operational surfaces of the apparatuses, thereby limiting the number of the users. As a result, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the apparatuses and the desks is limited by the control panel position of the apparatus.
In order to solve such problems, an approach which allows the use of operation panels from the four faces of each apparatus may be considered.
In this approach, however, it is necessary to also dispose operation panels on the second through fourth faces of the main body of the apparatus. Furthermore, for example, it is necessary to provide a plurality of operation units, and to prohibit the use of other operation panels when one operation panel is operated. Hence, this approach is unrealistic.
An output sheet is taken out by discharging the corresponding recording sheet onto a discharged-sheet tray provided on the main body of the apparatus. In the case of the copier shown in FIG. 17, if desks are disposed in front of and at the back of the copier, it is possible to take out a recording sheet from a position in front of or at the back of a discharged-sheet tray 123 provided at a side of the main body of the copier. However, since an operation unit 150 is provided only at a front portion of the copier, and an original-fixing plate (hereinafter termed a "pressing plate") 103 of a reading mount (hereinafter termed an "original-mount") can be opened only from the front side, it is impossible to consistently perform operations from reading of an original to obtainment of a recording sheet from both sides of the desks.
Recently, there is an increasing number of composite apparatuses in which the functions of a facsimile apparatus and a printer are added to the function of a copier. When using such a composite apparatus, an operation of only taking out a recording sheet output when the apparatus is used as a printer or a facsimile apparatus can be performed even from the back side of the discharged-sheet tray, and the operation can be performed from the front or back side of the apparatus. However, when using the apparatus as a facsimile apparatus for transmission or when using the reading device provided at the upper surface of the apparatus in order to copy an original or provide data of the original, it is necessary to operate the apparatus from the front side thereof. That is, the current composite apparatuses are not configured so as to allow all operations from many directions.
In contrast to trouble shooting processing for a sheet jam or the like which is performed by opening a front cover 100 as shown in FIG. 19, it is necessary to replenish frequently recording sheets by drawing out a sheet cassette 124 as shown in FIG. 20. In most conventional apparatuses inclusive of composite apparatuses, such a sheet cassette can be drawn only toward the front side of the apparatus, so that the user facing the back of the apparatus cannot replenish recording sheets.